I have been attending talks and workshops with Nourish coaches for over 10 years. Each time I listen to them and talk with them, I learn something new and gain insight and inspiration on my journey to wellness.
Last summer I worked with Debbie and Wendy on a pretty intense 30-day cleanse. I was nervous about actually starting it and thought about rescheduling my start date, but Debbie encouraged me and said the right things to have me commit to setting a date and just doing it.
Debbie and Wendy gave me guidelines to follow and communicated with me during the cleanse with tips and ideas for foods I could have. The first 7 days of the cleanse were difficult. The first few days especially. I had bad dreams and trouble sleeping, my hands swelled, I had achy joints, I was cloudy headed and fatigued. I had cravings and was cranky.
A week in, I was wandering around Whole Foods looking for something good to eat ready to just quit, when I bumped into Debbie. Quite serendipitous. She asked if I was feeling deprived – which is exactly how I felt. She offered encouragement and suggestions and I kept going. Then on about Day 10, I realized I felt good. Over the next few days I felt better and better. No joint pain, a clear head, lots of energy. No cravings for anything I could not eat. Cravings for good pure healthy foods. I was amazed that I could feel so good. I continued to feel great for the rest of the cleanse. After the 30 days, I was able to add foods back to see how I felt. I gradually added back more foods, but have eliminated or limited many of the foods that bothered me. I plan to do the cleanse again this spring.
A point that stuck with me was Debbie and Wendy saying that while you are doing the cleanse and depriving yourself of certain foods, be good to yourself in other ways. Get enough rest, get a massage, be creative, and make time for yourself. That made a big impact in my success, as well. I actually took time for myself.
I am so glad I did the cleanse with Debbie and Wendy’s guidance. It was a life changing experience. The beginning is tough but it is so worth it. In the end, I felt better than I thought I would or could. It gave proof that so much my wellness depends on what I eat and drink and how important good nutrition is to overall well being. Which happens to be exactly what they have been saying all these years.
Kelly Valinoti